Hi Reddit, so I'm not even really an actor, but my boss recommended me for a commercial shoot for a Chinese company and they agreed. My issue is that I only speak basic Chinese, so I do not understand most of the script. I now have a roughly 2 page script that I barely understand and have to memorize until Monday. Are there any tips on how to tackle the memorization?
Hi i wanna become a new actor. But i love in Belgium. Someone know free acting lessons online? Ore have any tips. Let it know Thx.
Hi everyone! So I’m on Backstage.com and Actors Access (I haven’t uploaded a demo reel or really applied to anything yet on AA because of money) but I use Backstage A LOT. I got 2 self-tape auditions this weekend for low budget feature films which I’m super excited about! However, my only professional acting experience is being BG in a Hulu show that I found through Roman Candle Casting on Backstage. It was a great experience. But that was in early March and I haven’t booked any other BG work since. I’ve applied a lot through Grant Wilfrey, both through the website and directly emailing the projects with the exact format it says to. I’m just confused I guess as to why it’s seeming to be so hard to get simple BG work again. I’m nervous I may have made a bad impression but I can’t think of how or why I would’ve. I wasn’t rude to anyone, didn’t complain and I was on time. I understand getting auditions for speaking roles and not getting booked. That’s mostly based on talent, but I was really looking forward to more BG work at least. Notes for context: I am 22F, petite. I can play 16-24 years old. Im NYC/NJ/PA based. Non-Union I have professional headshots and two monologues but no demo reel. Any advice about what sites to be on/not to be on (Casting Workbook, Casting Networks, Backstage, etc) or anyone’s experiences with Grant Wilfrey or BG or anything really would be so appreciated. Note on AA: I’m planning to utilize it to its full ability once I’ve been in more student films/ short films and have a solid demo reel. Thank u so much!
Hi all! I noticed that recently there have been a lot of posts from people who have asked if they will be able to 'apply' for roles in big movies and TV shows that have just been announced (the Harry Potter one has been the most common recently), or are rumoured to be underway. As someone who is a working actor and producer with my own company (and I often sit in on casting) I wanted to make a post to explain to people who might be newer to the industry how the casting process works for big projects like this, to hopefully empower you and help you understand better. Remember this is SUPER simplified, and any stage of this can get very complicated. Also, my experience is largely in UK-based productions (although I've worked on a couple of US productions too), so there may be a slight difference depending on where you're based. For clarity, I worked my way up from a production assistant, then producer's assistant, now I produce my own work, so I've seen a lot of levels of this. This post is LONG, so strap in. I didn't want to leave anything out! Anyway - let's start from the very beginning, and pretend that I'm a big important executive from a network or studio who wants to make a prestige TV show like Harry Potter/Rings of Power/House of The Dragon, etc. How does it work? >**1)** I will approach my network/studio and pitch the idea to my boss, say I've convinced the author to sign over all rights to the work, and ask for approx $200million to make it. If I've done a good job and the idea seems solid, my boss might say yes, and authorise me to use some of the $200million to find my core team and come up with some basics. >>**2)** The first thing I need to do is find a **showrunner** (the person who will be head writer and steer the project from beginning to end). The process of finding them and getting them contracted could take me anywhere from months to years. >>**3)** Once I have my showrunner, they will go out and find a group of **writers** to come up with an **outline** for the first series, and write a **pilot script**. This process could take anywhere from a few months to a year (or more...) >>**4)** I'll go back to the studio, show them the script and outline, and ask for the 'green light' to begin pre-production. They might say yes right away (sometimes you might see this being called 'ordering' episodes), or they might offer notes and tell me to go back to the writers and implement those notes - which might take months. ^((At this point, since I first put the idea to my boss, a period of a year to even five or ten years may have passed, depending on how many other projects my studio has going on - this is called being stuck in 'development hell' if it drags on for years.)) >>**5)** If they say yes right away, I will get the **'green light' to start pre-production**, which is the time before filming where the production team and director do all the necessary prep work: **casting**, finding and booking locations, finding crew, making/buying costumes, building sets. Casting usually comes first, because any further financing and crew acquisitions will depend on which big famous person we convince to sign on. >>**6)** From the scripts that we have, the casting director we hire will start to make **character breakdowns**, which tell us how many roles we need to cast from leads to one-liners, and what they will be like (age, race, accent, height, personality, etc). These breakdowns will go out to the various agents in the next steps. >>**7)** The first roles to be cast will always be the leads and pivotal supporting roles, because they are crucial to the idea - for adult roles, we will likely have a "wishlist" of 10 - 30 known/name actors per role. Many of these actors will be 'offer only', meaning they have gotten to a point in their careers where they will no longer audition, and will only consider roles if they are offered to them directly. >>So: the first thing that will be done is **sending the script to each of them in a hierarchical order** \- and believe me, the politics on this one are painfully intricate. You can't send it out to multiple A-listers simultaneously, it has to be one at a time. Agents will sometimes refuse to offer a script if someone else has been offered it first, I've heard it with my own ears (for instance something like "Nicole won't read this if Charlize has already turned it down" or "this needs to go to Reese before it goes to Rachel"). But in general it goes: \- Oscar winners, true living legends, permanent A listers \- Emmy/SAG/BAFTA etc winners and reliably bankable stars \- 'known' actors who may not have an award but do have name recognition \- trendy promising up-and-comers >>Each of these actors will have a certain amount of 'reading' time they require in which to read the script and discuss the role with their team, which can take from weeks to months depending on how busy they are - the **average is 4-6 weeks for A-listers**. You can imagine the math on this: the first person takes 4 weeks to read and then says no, the second person takes another 4 weeks and says no, and so and on and so on until you hopefully find someone who says yes and isn't too far down the list. So let's call this step a further 3-6 months. >>**8)** Once the lead roles have been cast, the supporting roles will be cast. The casting director will generally go hierarchically here as well, so they'll ask for submissions from all the top agencies in the country they're shooting in or approach specific people they have an eye on globally. Then they'll work their way down to boutique agencies, start ups, and so on and so forth. By the time they reach boutique agencies, 99% of the time, they'll have found what they need and won't need to go any further down their list, but in case they haven't, they might go out to big agencies in an adjacent market (for example US/Canada, US/UK, UK/Europe, UK/Australia/New Zealand) and then work their way down their agent list hierarchy in that country as well. 99.999999% of the time, at this point, we will be fully cast for speaking roles. ^((Side note - Do I agree with this hierarchy? No, not necessarily - but it is the reality, and I want you to know about it!)) >>**9) L**et's say one of the supporting roles is a very specific type of person. Maybe we need a Farsi speaking amputee, or a long-haired 6'5" Viking-looking man who can do a headstand on horseback, or a 95 year old Thai woman who can tap dance flawlessly. At that point, an open call would be put onto reputable online casting platforms for those very specific people, and the casting director and their team would start to think outside the box - maybe street casting? Maybe models? Maybe athletes and stunt people? Maybe they'll go out into community organisations? >>**10)** Or maybe a lot of the roles are for children, like Matilda The Musical. In the UK, the casting director would generally go out directly to major youth organisations (like the National Youth Theatre), drama schools/university drama and theatre departments to target 18-20 year olds who look younger, children's acting schools, and then finally high schools in general - they will organise carefully controlled and managed open calls at each high school. If they still haven't found anyone, they'll put an open call online. >>**11)** At that point, 100% of the time, we are 100% cast for all speaking roles. Extras and background will be hired on a rolling basis throughout principal photography through the appropriate agencies that are local to the shoot. >>>>^(A caveat to all of this:) >>^(Once in a blue moon, a studio will demand a "true" unknown for a lead role in a blockbuster film. This is more common in indie film, but) *^(occasionally)* ^(happens for a big project. The most recent memory I have of one of these is from the new Star Wars trilogy. A worldwide search was conducted for the roles of Rey and Finn. HOWEVER - although thousands of people who are unrepresented self-submitted and sent in tapes, a casting director was simultaneously following their usual hierarchy and going to agents looking for someone, and it's worth noting that both Daisy Ridley and John Boyega were already represented and had some small professional and indie roles under their belts. I generally mistrust studios when they ask for a "true" unknown - they don't usually want someone who is completely new, they want a skilled, proven actor who is a new face to THEM and to the wider industry. Keep that in mind and keep a healthy skepticism when seeing these open calls.) So I suppose the answer to the FAQ "how can I apply for a role in (huge thing)?" is - you can't. The reality (however unpleasant you feel it is) is that a lot of very experienced people work very hard to make sure casting for big projects is a **controlled, closed process.** There are a lot of reasons for this, but the number one reason is time and money. Imagine that we put an open call online for a new prestige TV show - how many *millions* of self submissions would we get worldwide? We would have to pay a small army of casting assistants to sort through them and respond and organise and watch self-tapes - it could take years. Nobody in the industry has that kind of time or cash available to them: not even the biggest, most expensive projects. The best advice I was given in my early career was to **always blend in as a professional, rather than stick out as an amateur.** Meaning - don't delude yourself into thinking you can be the exception to the rule, and start to pull silly stunts to try and get noticed. \- If you email your resume to a random person who's connected to the project but isn't in casting, I can guarantee they'll just roll their eyes and delete it and maybe block your email for good measure. \- If you DM someone involved with the project on social media, they either won't see it, or they'll delete/block there too. \- If you put a video on TikTok saying how perfect you are for a role, or film a self tape unsolicited and put it online and ask people to tag creators in it, you'll likely be laughed at. I've seen all of those things happen before, and it's not pretty. I - and my colleagues - still remember the names and faces of actors who have done stuff like this, and *trust me when I tell you that you don't want to be remembered for that*. So what *can* you do, if you're unknown, to get a role in your favourite project? Honestly - nothing. I'm sorry if that feels brutal to hear. **BUT:** \- If you have an agent, you could let them know that you're really keen on the project for when it comes around. You could also ask them if there's a possibility of them setting you up with a **general with the studio's head of casting**, or the casting director who's on the project when their name is announced. \- If you know anyone from your network you suspect might be involved directly, it can't hurt to send them a catch up email - be casual, and don't ask for favours. Meet them for coffee, show genuine enthusiasm about what they're doing and tell them what you've been doing. Hopefully seeing you will jog their memory if there's a role you might be suitable to read for. If not, no harm done, you've had a fun catch up with a friend and colleague. \- If you don't have an agent, you can keep up all the usual stuff like training and self-submitting, and make sure you are registered with your local online casting portal or any directory/youth group/drama department that is relevant and available to you, and that your profile is up to date and that you have good head shots. \- If you have very unique physical attributes, see if you can find an 'alternative' modelling agent or similar - they will also be a great port of call for casting when they're searching for people with very specific looks that are harder to find in the general acting population. ​ I really sincerely hope this helps, and I'm happy to answer as many questions as I can! :)
I just moved to Midtown East, NYC a month ago, and am interested in signing up for an in-person acting class. Preferably with a curriculum of 1 night/week. Price isn’t a huge concern, but something not-terribly-expensive is encouraged (will settle for paying a higher price if you have found the class to be well worth the money). I have years of acting experience from middle/high school and have starred in 3 short films in the past year, so a more intermediate course would be ideal. Ultimately looking to refine my acting skills, as well as connect with other up-and-coming actors in the city. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you in advance!
Working on a feature script, and my team and I would love to attach an actor for one of the characters. The only issue is - their on-screen role is very minimum and would only be in a scene or two. I know actors have been part of films as cameo roles (i.e Matt Damon in UNSANE) which are smaller, but what is the best approach to getting them attached? Do you even explain it as a cameo in the film?
Hi guys! First time poster here. I've been in the acting game for over a decade. I am now in my early 30s and finally have my agent, but honestly, been a lot of false starts in recent years with my career, which I'm sure many can relate to. I know that's just how this industry works, but my question is: how do you use your network to leverage your career fairly? Meaning, I have plenty of friends who are successful in TV, film and music, who I admire dearly. Thing is, I've always been wary to ask them for a little help introducing me to the right people, as I never want to make my friends feel that they are only there to help me up the ladder. But a part of me just wonders if maybe I've just been missing out on a lot of potential opportunities by being too timid and not bold enough to ask for guidance, mentorship, networking help from my friends. I'm talking people who are well known and have many film and TV credits. I'm thankful that I've gotten to do a lot of amazing networking on my own, but sometimes it just really takes someone else with a track record to introduce you to people. Should I keep networking and auditioning as is? Or should I reach out for a little help, and how? Look, I'm not looking for fame necessarily, what I'm looking for is financial stability and the opportunity to work in my field steadily (I know, an actor's dream!) Also, I live near LA, and am moving there again in the next few months. Feels like my close proximity hasn't deterred me too much, but I know I'm missing out on the face to face networking you get by simply living in the city. Thanks everyone! Happy auditioning.
Hi there! For my Black actors out there who wear protective styles, do you think it would be noticeable if I had a slightly different protective style than my headahot? For example, in my head, shot I have knotless braids. However if I took them out and put passion twists or marley twists in my hair and I did an auditon with that style do you think casting would notice or even care? I'm thinking this is something I might be able to get away with but I'm not too sure. Thanks!
Hello, I'm a newer actor currently choosing which acting class format to take and I need your advice! I'm a full time college student in LA so I go back to my hometown (not in SoCal) for three months in the summers and one month in the winter. I want to get solid training in the Meisner technique to improve as an actor and overcome my awkwardness and nervousness when talking to other people. The problem is that many Meisner technique studios offer two year in person programs that I can't attend consistently due to my summer and winter breaks. I looked around for classes both in LA and near my hometown and I am faced with two choices: 1. Take a three month in person introductory class in Hometown Acting Class this summer, and then continue my training at a different in person LA Acting Class when I get back to college next school year. 2. Take the zoom option for LA Acting Class this summer, and hopefully transfer to their in person acting classes when I return to college next school year. And just continue hopping back and forth between Zoom and in person (not sure if I can do that...) in the same studio until I complete their training. I just had a talk with Hometown Acting Class and the ball is in my court whether I want to move forward as an applicant and I'm going to have an interview with the LA Acting Class tomorrow. Do you think it's ok for me to jump between Meisner studios from the summer and school year in regards to training as an actor, or is it better to stay with one studio consistently? For the second choice, do you think it's better to take Zoom classes/in person classes with one studio, even though during the summers I won't have the benefit of in person classes? Thank you so much for taking the time to read and/or give advice. I am very grateful and wish you the best day/night. :)
Hi everyone! I have to perform a 7 minute scene in my acting class with my friend. We need to find a play that has 2 characters, 1 girl and 1 boy. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would prefer comedy but am open to anything. (I am not an actor so am very new to this) Thank you so much!
Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on nursing my voice and helping me out while I was sick. My voice is feeling much better (as am I). I was able to get an audition done for an indie game. My first character demo had to take a backseat, but it’s still in the works! Appreciate you all!
I'm so excited for Billy! I'm curious, if you could play any historical figure in their biopic, who would it be and why?https://deadline.com/2023/04/billy-porter-james-baldwin-biopic-byron-allen-1235322934/
What I mean is are there any of u guys that didn’t finish a degree for another subject? And is just working a minimum wage job? Reason I’m asking this is because, I don’t want to go get a certificate or go to college to complete another degree that isn’t acting. Don’t some actors go to university or get a certificate etc. to have a backup job just in case they can’t live off only acting as their jobs? Just curious
Hi, I am currently in college and want to go into acting when I finish up; however, I don't want my sole focus in college to be acting when you don't need a degree for it. I thought nursing might be a good choice, because you could work at a hospital, do 3 12's, and be done for the week; however, after doing some reading a little bit ago, maybe I'm not going about it the right way like I thought I was. ​ So actors who went to college, what did you do that helps you pay the bills and still have time to pursue acting (professionally)?
What is the better school to go to for beginners? I have found a few but I also don't have a lot of money
I just started acting again recently (30F) and am 8 months into classes. I recently started my intermediate level and was pretty confident but after seeing others I just feel like I am not progressing and growing as much as everyone else (or even as good). I’m hoping this class will give me the skills to grow this semester but I keep questioning whether I should continue. I am always so happy to hear other students successes but it does make me feel worse about myself. I get a good amount of auditions but not a lot of callbacks and I don’t book much and I know most of the time it has nothing to do with me and just a part of casting but it’s hard to not think I’m just not a great actor too. How does everyone deal with this? What are some things you do outside of class/work to help you grow your acting?
I’m not saying it to sound elitist or anything but there was a time it was hard to get onto for a reason, now it seems like anyone can just get on it?
im 17. im from australia. i live on the island below it and there's literally no acting opportunities. id have to fly to the mainland for qn audition which would cost $500-$800 and I might not even get a role from it. i'm sick of auditioning and not getting anything or almost getting the role but losing it to someone with more experience. directors say they want experienced actors but I have to start somewhere, right? I know that rejection is the main part of the business but I'm sick of it. pouring my hear and soul into every audition and not getting any appreciation in return. I can't afford basic things in this cost of living crisis so I don't know if I can continue to audition and have a partime job anymore. I don't want to give up trying to become an actor. how do I get my big break? I want to be able to afford heat and food. some people spend their whole lives trying to and never do. I don't want to have a failed career and have nothing else to fall back on. I'm not even sure if I should continue studying drama and theatre performance if I won't be able to get a steady job with my future qualifications anyway. someone help me, give me advice or reassure me.
Hi! My names Kyle I was wondering about the "Stagedoor Manor" summer camp in the catskill mountains, NY. I was wondering about how good of a performing arts summer camp it is and if it compares to "French Woods" I'm an aspiring actor and I know "Ansel Elgort, and Natalie Portman" went there. Thanks! I most likely wanna act in film as well, but I just wanna start small and build my way up.
Hello, I booked my first real acting job in 2022 on an NBC show and got paid a decent amount, but also had a lot of expenses with it. I'm a bit confused if I can deduct anything though. Maybe some kind and knowledge person here can help: • Paid via W-2 (around $10k for two weeks) • Live in LA but had to travel to and stay in NYC, paying for my own flight, cars and hotel (roughly $6k in expenses) Paid my manager 15% of total (roughly $1500) Paid SAG initiation fees (roughly $1k) Earned: $10k Total expenses: $8.5k As you can tell, I didn't really *net* any money on this job, but needed to take the role for my career. Now it's tax time, and I'm not sure if I need to pay Fed/State taxes on the full amount, since it's a W-2 and I don't have enough for an itemized deduction (filling jointly). I'm assuming writing these off as a "business" expense on a Schedule C would trigger an audit or get flagged, since my income for this job will be reported on a W-2? I also have to file state taxes in both NYC and CA? Any help or advice would be much appreciated, as it doesn't seem fair that after all of these expenses I now need to pay taxes to the government on the full $10k.
I’m really new to acting, I’ve been self submitting and just booked my first gig . It’s still a few months until filming. I always planned on using my real name and try not to get ahead of myself but I feel I might have a problem. So my last name isn’t super common…. However, there is an actress who has used the French version (same as mine) and also the American version of my last name. We also have the same first name . Which she’s gone by the name and nickname. Basically she’s credited under different variations of the same name as mine. For how long she’s been in it and how many credits she has, I’m assuming she’s joined the union. From what I understand , if I were to join the union, I’d have to change mine? Is it better to just do it now from the get go? I don’t want to cause confusion with the job I just booked. I also don’t want to worry about it if I don’t need to.
Hello my fellow creative minds <3 ​ I am in a bit of a pickle. Please, allow me to explain my situation. I would be humbled to receive your advice. ​ I am an actress from The Netherlands, and the acting industry here is really tough to break through. Thanks to God, I met an internationally recognized industry professional who has seen my talent, and who wants to invest in me and help me achieve my goals as an aspiring screenwriter and actress. I am not new to acting, although I do need to train more. I know little about the industry and what the best places are for people of color to practice their craft, which in my case is acting AND screenwriting. I will get back to acting school in August in The Netherlands, but I also want to expand and go abroad in the summer of 2024, and after. My main question is: What is the best place for an actress of color to flourish: The United Kingdom, The United States, Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta - Georgia, or London (for example) ? Or somewhere else? One of my coaches swears that I should go to London and do theatre until I bleed, but I would like to study the Meisner Technique in the US at the Neighborhood Playhouse or the Meisner Esper Studio. ​ I would really like to follow a summer intensive that focuses on the Meisner Technique. What would you recommend me to do? I am feeling miserable not being able to express myself through acting. All advice is greatly appreciated, my friends. Thank you, if you've read my post thus far. ​ Never give up, keep your hopes high. Nurture your artistic soul.
I self submitted for a big network tv series as a recurring costar and got a request for an audition today on casting workbook! The casting director is a big name and I am SO excited but I wonder just how excited I should be, haha. What is the ballpark for how many actors they might ask for a self tape audition for these types of casting calls?
I have been so fortunate to work as a full-time actor. Here Are 5 Successful Strategies I Used to Act Full-Time - For 37 + Years https://youtu.be/N6EP7pV0upA Let others know what strategies you find helpful in getting more acting work. Leave a comment.
Hey Actors! There's a great AMA happening in the Financing Lounge for the next 24 hours! Producer, Global Consultant, and Stage 32 Thought Leader David Zannoni is answering questions about escrow accounts for financing and talent transactions in independent film & TV productions. If you have any questions about escrow accounts for talent, be sure to go comment!https://www.stage32.com/lounge/fundraising/Ask-Me-Anything-AMA-4-11-to-4-12-Escrow-for-Film-and-TV
I'm curious about those actors that are strict hands-on learners, what methods do you guys use to memorize your scripts?
Toronto specifically. I’m a UK based actor with a Canadian passport thinking of moving over. My first point of call would be approaching Canadian agents first. I have a good CV, UK drama school trained. Plenty of guest roles, some recurring and regular roles on major channels and streamers. Extensive theatre experience here in London. I’d love information on: Canadian agents- good and bad - whether now is a good time to approach? I know the strike is affecting things - worldwide. Types of castings you guys see there, theatre, good roles on television or film? Job market outside of acting. What kind of day jobs do you do? Is flexible work readily available? In London I can secure an alright paying day job that’s flexible - how possible is that in Canada? Thanks in advance for any and all info you guys can give me. All the best!
Personally I like being there real time, and have someone to act in front of. I get too self continue when I have to act like there is someone in front of me, and have to film it myself. Watching it over, being to self-critical etc.
I'm a minor, but I can also pass for someone in their early twenties. The casting call didn't specify for 18+ actors only, so am I allowed to audition for a character in their twenties?
"My work is down about 50% and I am been in the business for 20 years"
There is an actor who I have worked with in a couple of decent short films. This associate also writes and produces their own indie productions and has offered me a role in their most recent project. I’m not interested in it for many reasons, but mainly because the quality of this work would honestly be a bad look for my progressing career. How do I tell them no without using an obvious excuse?
I really really want to be an actress so bad, it’s been my literal dream since I was a little girl but I don’t know how to find auditions. With everything being online it’s hard to differentiate between what’s legitimate and what’s a scam. I would be really thankful if someone can lead me in the right direction and give me some leads.
I’ve been out of the game for a long time. I went to school for theatre, worked as an actor for 8 years in my twenties, then I got married, etc. I’m a bartender now, but I really need some extra side income… or a new career path entirely. I have a good radio voice, 2 1/2 octave range, and a lot of dialect and vocal training. Voice acting isn’t something I’m unfamiliar with or have no experience. I’m very good at it. I’m good at like 3 things, acting/voice is one of them and I would like to utilize that skill again. But I don’t know where to start, I’ve been out of the professional works for so long. If y’all have any suggestions, places, or people to talk to, I would greatly appreciate the direction. Deepest thanks in advance.
Hey there. 16F. I’ve been interested in VA work for quite a long time now. Up until this point I’ve been grabbing very pointless roles on Casting Club for things like Gacha skits & Minecraft roleplays. Very unrewarding work with very minimal lines & thought usually. I’m not exactly sure where to go from here. The majority of sites I look into don’t take minors, and I live very rurally so I’m not able to get experience in-person. I have a decent setup with a good mic. My accent gets brought up CONSTANTLY and has my entire life. I have an Australian/British mix of an accent that a LOT of people really love apparently. I get told I’d make a ‘great voice actor/narrator’ on the daily. I just don’t know where the demand would actually be for that considering my age. I don’t feel like putting Gatcha/Minecraft skits on my reel would yield me very good results, so here I am to ask you guys where my next steps should ideally be. Should I hold off for a couple of years and try to get into the industry more so then? I’m of course fine with unpaid work whilst I’m still an amateur. Though eventually earning enough to be able to enrol myself in an online course for direct feedback and coaching would be great. Cheers!
agent asked me to make a website, that will have my photos, resume, reel, and other video content. what would be the best way to go about this? wordpress? Should I pay someone to do it? I'm over 40 and computer is not my strong suit. thank you
So, like the title suggests I’m looking for some acting schools in London that have a much higher acceptance rate than some of these top prestigious ones. I’m 22, and through some regrettable life choices I chose to not go to college after high school. My passion for acting has re-emerged (I did child acting in LA for awhile and my entire high school career I was thespian president and was in all 5 shows a year) and I really wanna study in London. While I’d love to attend RADA, I’m not sure I can wait the 2-3+ years I’ve heard it takes some people to get accepted. I already am so behind everyone else and I’d rather not be 30 by the time I’m graduated and entering the industry professionally. Does anyone have some recommendations for schools in London? I’m strictly an actor, I can hold a tune but I’m definitely not a soloist.
Here we go with another episode of the Voiceover Soapbox Diatribe. I won’t link to his video because I really don’t want to help drive any traffic to his content. This guy. He thinks he has it all figured out, doesn’t he? He spends so much time in this video talking about all the reasons other voice actors aren’t asking for what he defines as “worthy rates”. But he completely skips the REAL reason, which I’ll get to in a minute. “Fair, professional, reasonable rates”. Who’s the judge of that anyway? The GVAA rate guide? Let’s see, how is that rate guide compiled, anyway? Here’s how - it’s based on a poll of voice actors, saying what THEY THINK voiceover jobs should pay. It doesn’t take into consideration actual market budgets offered by voice buyers. So of course, these rates are completely out of touch with reality. It’s a fantasy and a fallacy. How does he have the time to produce these videos? Simple. If he has the time to put these out week after week, it means he’s not booking like he used to. Hell, I’m feeling anxiety about the 10 minutes I’m taking to write this while I have new business piling up in my inbox as we speak. Much less than the several hours it takes him every week to write, produce, edit, transcribe, and post these videos. If he had enough work, he wouldn’t be making them. So why does he do it? He’s not giving advice to new voice actors out of the kindness of his heart or because he wants to help people. You don’t have to watch one of his videos for very long to understand the type of person he is. He certainly doesn’t come off as the most altruistic fellow now, does he? The fact is, he doesn’t care about you. It’s all about him, and having an outlet for his fear and anger towards other voice actors outbidding him for work. I’ll end with this. Don’t let anyone, especially this guy, tell you how to run your business. What you bid for voiceover jobs is entirely up to you. Don’t be bullied into demanding preposterous rates. This is an open market in a free country. Your rate is a valuable tool that you can use to be competitive in this business. If you’re going days, weeks, or even months without booking a job, it’s not necessarily because the thousands you’ve already spent on coaching and demos isn’t enough. It could very well be because you’re being outbid. And soon enough, you’ll find yourself filling your time doing things other than recording voiceovers. Kind of like what Paul is currently doing.
I am discussing something with someone and am wondering if there are more examples of this than I can think of. Really, the only one that is coming to mind is the lead in Mac And Me. The lead was originally written for a non-disabled actor. But, the director made the decision both to cast an actor who uses a wheelchair and not to change anything in the script to have the characters refer to the chair in any way. He is just a normal kid. The movie overall is a wacky fever dream, but they did a great job with that. However, I can't think of other films or shows like that, even for side characters. Things where it was originally written for someone without a visible disability and they really had open casting and picked someone who uses a wheelchair or crutches or has a missing or prosthetic limb or other things where it is a visible thing, but that doesn't really affect the character and they are just people.
If you host a show by yourself, podcast scripts are a great way to prepare your talking points in advance so you don’t have to gather your thoughts mid-episode.Before you start writing, take a minute to consider: What are the main points I want to convey in this episode? Once you identify those, the smaller details can flow from there.Let’s say your podcast is about painting, and you’re planning an episode where you talk to listeners about choosing the right brushes. Organize your thoughts in your script document, starting with the main points and progressing to supporting points.You’d be surprised how quickly the time will pass when you’re talking about a subject you’re passionate about.#podcast
Just some words of encouragement for a productive week!!! ❤️
Do you watch your own performances when they air? It can be so hard to be objective watching yourself or someone you know really well, so it can be really hard to get too much out of it yourself. Getting feedback from others that watch is helpful, but I'm not sure we will ever get to a point where we can really sit back and watch objectively. There are a lot of performances that we've never watched as a finished product, and the more we talk to other actors, we hear the same thing from a decent sized group of them.
I know, they’re everywhere, and being in contact with one drove me in for a loop. Actors being rude to other actors, I will never get over it. I understand it’s a heavily competitive career, but you really don’t need to be an asshole and put down other actors for trying to understand certain things in this field. Anyone have any stories with experiences like this? I’d love to hear it so I don’t feel as though I’m overreacting over nothing Ahah.
A little bit about me: I'm a 20-year-old actor based in the Southeast region of the US. I've finally gotten a cohesive package together and feel confident in what I bring to the table. I got signed to an agency and feel really good about myself, however, I'm wondering if a manager is necessary also in all of this. So my questions are: 1. Should I as an actor based in the Southeast even bother looking for a manager? 2. If I do, is it best to only apply to ones with submission links? 3. How bad of an idea is it to cold-call/email a manager? (my gut is telling me bad idea)
Hey all! As a beginner actor with no credits yet, I’ve learned that it’s okay to use self taped material to submit with as, in place of the reel. Is it better to use scenes or monologues? Or a mix of both? In addition as a beginner, is it better to submit 1 short scene or a number of scenes that are self taped in a single ‘reel’? Would love everyone’s insight! Thanks!
So I just moved to Atlanta to pursue acting and I’ve been auditioning on actors access and backstage and haven’t really gotten anywhere. So I’ve been wondering if I should pursue getting an agent right away or wait a bit. Cause I have heard you shouldn’t get one right away so you can build up your résumé.
Hi all, I just landed my first ever role on a proper film set, I’ve done some school plays in front of 300 people but nothing serious. Tomorrow I have my first shoot, I’d like some tips from experienced actors/actresses on how to be more comfortable in front of the camera and not be nervous to act and be judged. Thanks!
I’m 17 and new to acting but I’d like to start in more commercial/ tv roles instead of theatre which is what I’m doing now, I’ve read that a lot of actors start getting good roles with the help of a agent. Do agents actually help you find work and are they worth getting?
I picked a monologue without realizing that the writing was bad. It sounded and felt great internally, but performing it out loud it was a completely different story. The dialogue is over explanatory and leaves little room for the actor to act. So my question is, how does one go about making a monologue sound and feel genuine when the writing isn’t great?
I’ve been recently seeing posts of actors saying that with the recent strike , the industry is slow in most markets and especially in Atlanta. However , I’ve been seeing that recently in several Atlanta agent websites and pages that their talent is booking work left and right despite this strike coming and it being slow ? Could someone explain ? Asking for a friend
I'm currently taking a break to work on improving my health. Recently, an ER doc diagnosed me with congestive heart failure; however, I think he misdiagnosed me. Tomorrow, I meet with a cardiologist. All of this has me thinking about my professional future. I have tentative plans to buy land in Santa Clarita and build a home. For those of you who are outside of California, Santa Clarita is a film hub, and it is part of Los Angeles County. I love it, because it is less hectic. I'll post a video here about Santa Clarita.Anyhow, I have experience as a casting director; but I'm thinking about getting my talent agent license. I'd like to represent nonunion and possibly Fi-Core talent. My goal, therefore, is to help them gain experience (footage, credits) and membership into SAG-AFTRA before handing them over to a SAG-AFTRA Franchised or ATA Talent Agent. In short, I'd be a starter agent. It would be an opportunity for me to work from home helping new talent find their way. I suppose I'd like to hear your thoughts on what things you look for in an agent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWQbHI2WlAw
Weeee, you found me!
I'm your buddy Bottie, I was hiding behind the scenes, but now that you've found me I'd be happy to tell you what I'm doing.
I just wrote a few fun facts about Web For Actors
Would you like to take a look?
Click here to check them out. I hope it will cause involuntary audible response.
